Outcomes for Graduates of Secondary Education Programs for Deaf Students: Early Findings of a Cooperative National Longitudinal Study.

Walter, Gerard G.; And Others

This paper describes the educational, employment, and earnings status of deaf high school graduates 1 and 10 years after leaving high school, in order to evaluate the ability of young deaf adults to profit from further education and to earn a living after leaving high school. Questionnaires were completed by almost 4,000 graduates of 27 educational programs for deaf students in 21 states. Results showed that: (1) Within 10 years of their graduation from high school, approximately 50% of all deaf high school graduates had participated in some form of postsecondary education. (2) There was a considerably lower labor force participation rate and a higher unemployment rate within the deaf population compared to the hearing population 1 year after graduation; these differences were less at 10 years after graduation. (3) While the occupational and earnings differences between the employed hearing population and employed deaf persons 10 years after graduation were not as severe as differences 1 year after graduation, a discrepancy did persist. (4) High school graduates who did not attend college had higher unemployment rates, were employed in blue collar jobs more often, and earned significantly less than those completing degree programs. (JDD)